Xefina island, Island in Maputo Bay, Mozambique.
Xefina is an island in Maputo Bay featuring natural beaches, thick mangrove forests, and coral reefs along its shoreline. The waters surrounding it create a diverse coastal environment where these different ecosystems interact with one another.
The island was established as a prison during Portuguese colonial rule and later equipped with military cannons to defend Maputo harbor. These fortifications reflect a period when military strategy shaped the island's development.
The island is home to fishing communities who practice time-honored methods of harvesting the sea, maintaining ways of life rooted in generations of knowledge.
Visitors reach the island by boat from Maputo in a short journey, with most tours including transportation, meals, and guided walks of the structures. Timing your visit around water levels and weather conditions makes the experience more comfortable and safer.
During low tide, visitors can walk across shallow waters from the mainland to reach parts of the island that are normally only accessible by boat. This natural occurrence creates a temporary route that changes with the tides throughout the day.
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